This grant agreement allows the city to begin design now to make crucial progress on this project while the city continues to look for funding of the construction and O&M phases.”

Public Works Director/City Engineer Ryan Stempski

The Hastings City Council on Monday night approved entering into a grant agreement with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency that is a big step forward for the fight against PFAS forever chemicals in the city drinking water.

The $3,179,366 grant will be used for planning and design of three water treatment plants to filter out per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, cancer-causing chemicals used by manufacturers that resist grease, oil, water and heat.

The city and MPCA are working to draw a linkage to the PFAS presence in city water and the 3M facility in Cottage Grove.

The city plans to build one new water treatment plant per year to tie in with city wells. The city will also extend water service to the Hastings Veterans Home which has PFAS present in its private system.

The overall price tag for the treatment plant construction is more than $60 million. The city is exploring several avenues involving 3M PFAS funds to pay for the construction. Operation of the water plants is also estimated at $800,000-$1 million annually.

“This grant agreement allows the city to begin design now to make crucial progress on this project while the city continues to look for funding of the construction and O&M phases,” said Public Works Director/City Engineer Ryan Stempski. “The design team will be coordinating directly with the Co-Trustees (MPCA and DNR) to ensure that the final design would receive construction (and O&M) funding should the City of Hastings be brought into the 3M PFAS Settlement.”